To get the best possible results from your professional printing services, you need to prep each image file you plan on submitting so we can translate it into a high-quality print. This article will outline the suggested settings for your digital image files and how to prep your image files in Photoshop to ensure a seamless printing process.
Step 1: Check Your File Type and Resolution
First, you need to make sure your files are in the correct format.
Recommended file formats are:
- .tff
- .png
- .jpg
To export your file in any of these formats from Photoshop, follow these steps:
- Go to “File”
- Select “Export”
- Select “Export As…”
- In the popup window, go to “Format” and select your desired format
- Select “Export” to export your file in this format
You also need to ensure that the image meets our minimum resolution threshold of 300 DPI. You can also check this setting in Photoshop by following these steps:
- Open your image in Photoshop
- Go to “Image”
- Select “Image Size”
- In the popup, make sure that “Resolution” is set to “pixels/inch” and the number is no lower than 300. If it is, you can change it to your desired dpi/ppi, and Photoshop will automatically resample the image to meet this resolution as long as the “Resample” box is checked.
You can also adjust how Photoshop resamples your image by choosing the different resampling settings from the drop-down menu. If you’re unsure of which one to use, you can choose “Automatic”, and Photoshop will choose the setting it thinks will yield the best results.
- Follow the steps above to export your resampled image in the correct file format
Step 2: Color Space and Profile
Most professional labs, including ours, print images using AdobeRGB color space. To ensure an accurate color match, you’ll want to make sure your monitor and file are calibrated to Adobe RGB color space.
To check color space in Photoshop:
- Go to “Edit”
- Select “Color Settings”
- Under “Working Spaces” in the popup, check that “RGB” is set to either sRGB or Adobe RGB. If it’s not, select it from the drop-down menu
Step 3: Size and Crop Your Image
Make sure your image is sized to the dimensions of your desired print to prevent parts of it from being cut off during the printing process.
The easiest way to do this is to look up the dimensions of your desired print size and then convert those measurements into an aspect ratio.
To crop your image to a specific aspect ratio in Photoshop, select the “crop” tool from the toolbar, then open the first drop-down menu to select a preset aspect ratio that matches the aspect ratio of your desired print.
Once you have this ratio set, simply resize it so that all the most important details of your image are contained within the crop frame. Then, hit “Enter” or press the “Crop” button to crop your image.
Step 4: Prepare Layers and Text
If your image file contains multiple layers in Photoshop (common for digital artists), we recommend flattening the layers to reduce the file size and avoid printing errors.
To do this:
- Go to “Layer”
- Select “Flatten Image”
This will combine all your layers into a single image layer, ready for export.
If you want to preserve your layers for editing later, you can make a copy of your project and flatten the layers in your copied file, leaving your original intact.
If your image contains text, we often recommend outlining your fonts before printing to ensure the fonts print correctly.
To do this in Photoshop:
- Select each of the text layers in the layers panel
- Select “Convert to Shape”
- Go to “File” and select “Save As” and save your new file with a new name
Step 5: Final Review and Save
Before submitting your image for printing, review this checklist to make sure your files are properly prepped:
- Is the file in the correct file type? (TIFF, PNG, JPG)
- Is the image at least 300 dpi?
- Is the image in the correct color space?
- Is the image in the same aspect ratio as the desired print?
- If the image contains text, has that text been outlined?
If all the above conditions have been met for your files, it’s ready to upload for printing! If you’re unsure of whether your file has met all the requirements for printing or have questions about a specific printing service, feel free to reach out to our expert staff, who can answer all your printing questions!
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